Alternative energy focus of Milan trustee meeting

By Mike Marino
Cibola County

MILAN — Alternative energy once again took front and center stage at the recent workshop meeting of the Village of Milan Trustees.

The meeting, which was a non-action workshop meeting focused on the proposed coal gasification plant that a Colorado company would like to build and operate in the village limits.

Bruce Boynton, attorney for the Village of Milan, said the city had a proposal from a company in Colorado regarding the development of a gasification plant in the village limits to focus on the 900 acres of the Churchfarm area.

"This is property the village purchased years ago for water rights," he said.

There are many questions that still have to be addressed before implementation of the proposed plant and the trustees will meet again on April 26 on the proposal.

" We intend to enter into an exclusive agreement with the company for 45 days to discuss items and issues such as how they will line up certain aspects and factors," said Boynton.

"Those factors will include the how they will arrange for the transport of the raw material to the site as well as the shipping mechanism to move it out of the plant, by rail, truck, or whatever means and also, financing of the facility," he added.

Boynton also mentioned that the key element to the interest in this coal gasification plant was the idea of zero emissions.

The next meeting of the Village of Milan Board of Trustees is scheduled for Thursday, April 26 at 6:00 p.m. at the Village Hall in Milan. Normally it would have been held this week but was moved because Marcella Sandoval, village manager and Theresa Garcia, village clerk have to attend a Clerks Conference and Workshop in Albuquerque on that day.

Agendas for both the regular board meetings and the workshop meetings are available to the public and can be obtained at the office of the village clerk. If you are an individual with a disability or handicap and are in need of any other form of auxiliary aid to attend or to participate in these meetings all you have to do is to contact the Village Clerk at (505) 285-6694 to make arrangements.